Cyclist deaths are becoming such a big issue in Britain that the Government is attempting to cut it off at the source.
Two of the UK’s biggest driving schools, AA Driving School and BSM, will now include a new section on bike awareness and driving safely around cyclists, developed with input from the cycling community.
Instructors will take a new module, backed by the Driving Standards Agency and the Department for Transport, to teach to new drivers.
In central London, over two thirds of cyclist accidents are the fault of the motorist, and, of the 14 cyclists killed last year, a majority collided with HGVs.
Mark Peacock, head of BSM, said: “Successfully teaching a learner to drive safely around cyclists means instilling a good attitude as well as the necessary practical driving skills. Understanding why cyclists behave in certain ways, such as avoiding potholes or how they are affected in strong winds, is key to being safe around them.”
AA President Edmund King said: “I am personally committed to breaking down the ‘two tribes’ attitude displayed between some drivers and cyclists. Often we are the same people. I am convinced that this initiative will change attitudes and save lives.”
It comes after police in Norfolk launched an investigation into a woman who admitted on Twitter that she had knocked down a cyclist.
Training your drivers is one way to prevent HGV collisions with cyclists, but there is always more you could do not to be a contributor to the problem.
You can help prevent your HGVs from hitting cyclists using Vision Techniques’ VT Overview™ system, which uses four ultra-wide-angled cameras to provide the driver with a total ‘birds-eye’ view of the vehicle from a single monitor image, along with emitting a warning alert for when pedestrians or cyclists enter the ‘danger zone’.
Andrew Kendal, of Vision Techniques, said: “Amazingly, VT Overview™ will also pre-warn the driver if a car, cyclist or pedestrian enters a danger blind spot on either side of the vehicle. An alarm will prompt the driver to check the high definition picture to see the danger.”
Alternatively, VT Side Alert™ and VT Alarmalight™ are cost effective warning systems that can alert cyclists and HGV drivers when a vehicle turns left.